WEST HAVEN -- The New Haven Ravens seemed destined for a loss against the Thunder last night at Yale Field. Trenton starting pitcher Casey Fossum was cruising along by keeping the Ravens off-balance and the Thunder held a three-run lead entering the seventh inning.

But all heck broke loose when Trenton reliever Rafael Betancourt was summoned by manager Billy Gardner to start the bottom of the seventh inning.

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New Haven erupted for six runs in the decisive inning off Betancourt and held on for a 7-4 victory before 3,057. The big blow was a three-run double by Troy McNaughton, which capped the uprising and sent Betancourt to the showers.

Immediately after the game, McNaughton was told by New Haven manager Danny Sheaffer he had been promoted to Triple-A Memphis. McNaughton will leave New Haven this morning and be replaced on the roster by Juan Munoz, who has been on the disabled list since May 2 with a hamstring pull.

"He told me I was going up to Triple-A whether I got any hits or not," McNaughton said. "But it sure was a nice way to leave here."

The Ravens started their eight-game homestand by improving to 14-18 in the Eastern League North Division. Trenton further cemented itself in the basement of the EL North by dropping to 11-21.

Fossum left the game with a 4-1 lead and seemed to be in perfect control. The deceptive lefty -- who entered the game with an 0-4 record -- struck out eight and didn't allow a walk.

"I have no idea how Casey Fossum is 0-4," Sheaffer said. "He looks like he has an idea how to pitch and he's going to win some games. He stays in the game and it might be a different story because he had us off-balance all night."

Betancourt proved to be the perfect remedy for New Haven's offensive struggles. The rally started with a single by Taber Maier before Matt Garrick belted a double off the base of the center field wall. Alex Eckelman then pounded a Betancourt double into the left-center gap to cut the lead to 4-3.

Trenton got a brief reprieve when Betancourt struck out pinch-hitter Nate Dishington for the first out of the inning. Miguel Diaz then singled off Aaron Capista's glove in the shortstop hole before Betancourt hit Esix Snead to load the bases.

Jason Bowers' lined a single to score Eckelman before the lefty-swinging McNaughton lifted a fly ball that banged off the base of the left field wall. By the time Garry Maddox retrieved the ball, all three Ravens baserunners had scored and New Haven had a 7-4 lead.

"The last time I faced him (in Trenton two weeks ago), he threw me fastballs away the whole at-bat," said McNaughton. "So I was looking fastball all the way. I got it on the first pitch and just took it the other way."

New Haven starting pitcher Patrick Coogan (3-1) struggled early before settling down as the game evolved to earn the win in seven innings of work. Mike Crudale shut down the Thunder in the eighth before Jeremy Lambert pitched a perfect ninth to earn his eighth save of the season.

"Coogan kept it close and gave us a chance to win the game," Sheaffer said.

"We failed in situation hitting so bad at Norwich (during a six-game series that ended Wednesday) that I was fired up to see our club respond. We did a good job."

Coogan, in fact, allowed at least two batters to reach base in the first three innings, then allowed one runner in both the fourth and fifth innings before having his first perfect inning in the sixth.

Coogan got in trouble in the second inning when he gave up a one-out walk to Garry Maddox. Aaron Capista followed with a single before catcher Kelly Ramos belted a three-run home run into the Budweiser porch in right field for a 3-0 Trenton lead. It was the first Double-A home run for Ramos, who was promoted from Class A Sarosota of the Florida State League two weeks ago.

Trenton tacked on a run in the third inning as Coogan allowed consecutive one-out singles to Jorge DeLeon and Virgil Chevalier before Mark Fischer's single scored DeLeon for a 4-0 lead.

New Haven got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Diaz singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Bowers' single to make it 4-1.

Coogan then settled down in his final two innings. He hurled the perfect sixth and allowed a hit in the seventh before ending the inning and his outing by striking out Jerry Salzano on a nasty curveball.